The language in schools, media and other forms of communication as well as the official language in the Federal Republic of Germany is German. Maintaining the German language is the task of all social groups. Learning the German language is also an important prerequisite for integration. Improving the language skills of immigrants is therefore a focal point of integration efforts. In addition to the Länder and municipalities, the Federal Government itself promotes language acquisition with a variety of measures. In addition, there is a wide range of private providers.
Dialects are cultivated and also promoted on a regional and communal basis. The “European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages” came into force for Germany on 1 January 1999. According to this charter, Low German is protected as a regional language and promoted in the federal states concerned. The minority languages protected and promoted by the Federal Government and the Länder concerned are the languages of the minorities traditionally resident (i.e. autochthonous) in Germany and protected under the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. These are the languages Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Upper and Lower Sorbian and the Romany of the German Sinti and Roma.
Comments are closed.